Let sit for 4-5 hours, over low heat with the lid ajar. Stir every hour.

In the last hour of cooking, add in your kale and stir. Continue to cook for 1 hour

Then dish out your soup, top with avocado and chives and EAT UP.

I’m discovering day by day just how Southern I truly am. You see, ever since I was a kid we ate black eyed peas on New Years Eve/New Years Day because I was told it’s good luck. And it’s a tradition that has lasted my whole life. So I went to research where the tradition came from, and found out that basically it’s a thing that only Southern people do for some reason. The idea behind the black eyed peas is that they swell when cooked, which symbolizes prosperity in the coming year. So if you want to have a prosperous year to come, I suggest you jump on the bandwagon and make this soup. (Also, you should make this soup because it’s easy and delicious).

In the south, black eyed peas are usually served with a ton of greasy collards and loads of meat (usually ham). So in an effort to health-ify the idea, I left out the meat but packed in tons of other flavor. The soup is savory, salty, filling, slightly spicy, warm, garlicky, and delicious. And pretty much all you have to do is stir a pot, and have a little patience.

I think the start of a new year is such a special time full of promise and wonder and possibility. So I hope that as we turn the page on another year, we can look back on our journey and be reminded of how special it is to be alive. I hope that 2016 is a year of health and happiness for you (and also prosperity – ha.)